Equipment guides
Telehandler Load Charts: Capacity and Reach When Buying
A telehandler's maximum capacity does not tell you what it can carry at every height and reach. Before choosing a model, match the intended work to the manufacturer's chart for that machine and attachment. This guide explains what to gather and compare; it does not calculate or authorize a lift.
Keep capacity, height and reach together
Scroll sideways to see the full diagram.
A listing often gives separate maximum figures. The load chart describes the machine's capacity across its working positions, with the attachment affecting the applicable chart. A model that reaches a location is not automatically able to place your load there.
For a buying comparison, collect the load information and intended placement together. Give every seller the same requirements and ask them to identify the supporting manufacturer documentation. This is more useful than asking whether a machine has 'enough reach.'
Find the chart for the machine being offered
Start with the exact model, serial number and attachment identification. Ask the seller or manufacturer to confirm which manual and chart apply. Save the complete document and its edition details with your comparison, so a cropped chart image cannot lose its title or notes.
A real example is Genie's GTH-5519 Operator's Manual, part 57.0009.0619GT, fourth edition, fourth printing, September 2019. Its cover limits it to serial numbers GTH55M-7009 through GTH55M-11699. This is an example of how specific a document can be, not a recommendation to use it for another unit.
Sources: Genie: GTH-5519 Operator's Manual, 57.0009.0619GT, Fourth Edition / Fourth Printing
What the actual manufacturer charts show
In that Genie manual, printed page 60 contains separate charts for the standard carriage and for the 60- and 66-inch bucket. Printed pages 61–64 cover other attachments; page 59 discusses load-center considerations. The PDF is linked in the sources below. Read the full applicable documentation with the seller or qualified personnel rather than transferring a capacity from one attachment to another.
The useful lesson for a buyer is the document match. The same model name can appear beside different attachment charts. Ask which chart supports the proposed offer and why it applies to the included equipment.
| Detail | What to record |
|---|---|
| Machine | Exact model and serial number from the offered unit |
| Document | Manufacturer, manual part number, edition and applicable serial range |
| Attachment | Exact identification and the chart selected for it |
| Location in the document | Printed page or chart identifier, keeping all accompanying notes |
| Confirmation | Who confirmed applicability and any questions still open |
Sources: Genie: GTH-5519 Operator's Manual, 57.0009.0619GT, Fourth Edition / Fourth Printing
Terms worth clarifying before a quote
JLG's explanation distinguishes horizontal reach, height and the attachment's load center. Its chart discussion also includes boom-angle and extension information. These are related terms, but they do not mean the same thing. Use the definitions and reference points in the chart that applies to the offered machine.
Rotating telehandlers need their own discussion: JLG explains that their charts use a different reference point from traditional fixed-boom models. A diagram or measurement copied from another type can therefore misstate your requirement.
| Term in the offer | Question to resolve |
|---|---|
| Maximum capacity | Which chart and configuration support the intended job? |
| Height and forward reach | Are both requirements being considered at the same placement point? |
| Load center | What information about the actual load does the manufacturer or seller need? |
| Boom length or extension | How does the stated figure relate to the placement requirement in this chart? |
| Attachment | Is this the exact attachment included in the quote and covered by the chart? |
Sources: JLG: Understanding a Telehandler Load Capacity Chart · JLG: Rotating Telehandlers: A Unique Equipment Solution
Send a complete selection request
Prepare a separate line for each materially different job. A model may be proposed for one placement requirement while another remains unanswered. Keep those differences visible in the seller's response.
For each job, provide the load description and available weight/dimension information, the intended placement, the attachment and access constraints. Ask the seller to identify anything else needed before recommending a machine. Do not fill missing measurements with a convenient estimate just to finish the form.
- Job and material: what you need to handle, with the information you have verified.
- Placement: height and forward-reach requirements, with their measurement references clarified.
- Attachment: the exact proposed tool or the task that still needs an attachment recommendation.
- Site and delivery: access restrictions, available space and where the machine must be delivered.
- Requested response: proposed model, chart and manual references, included equipment and unresolved requirements.
Compare the evidence behind the recommendation
Put the requirements down the left side of a comparison sheet and each candidate across the top. For every requirement, record the document reference or the seller's unanswered question. Keep a model out of the final price comparison while its suitability is unresolved.
If two sellers recommend different sizes, ask which requirement drove each choice. One may have allowed for an attachment or an access restriction the other did not consider. Resolve the difference before assuming the larger machine is excessive or the smaller one is a better deal.
After the specification is settled, evaluate the condition of the actual unit and request a complete quote. Neither a load chart nor a low asking price tells you whether a used machine has been maintained.
What still belongs in the job's operating plan
This guide helps you obtain and compare purchase information. It does not supply boom settings, lifting calculations, a site assessment or permission to handle a load. Those decisions require the applicable manufacturer instructions and appropriately trained, authorized personnel.
If a chart is missing, illegible or cannot be matched to the offered machine and attachment, resolve that with the manufacturer or supporting dealer. Do not substitute an illustration, a similar model's chart or a catalog maximum.
Common questions
Is a 10,000-pound telehandler rated for that load at maximum reach?
The headline capacity does not establish capacity at maximum reach. Obtain the chart for the exact machine and attachment and have the intended work evaluated against it.
Can I use a chart for the same model with a different attachment?
Do not assume it applies. Ask for confirmation of the chart that matches the offered machine and attachment; the official Genie example linked here includes separate attachment charts within one manual.
Does this guide calculate how much I can lift?
No. It helps you collect the correct information for a purchase decision. It provides no lifting calculation or operational approval.
Where can I find the manufacturer's chart?
Ask for the applicable manual and machine chart using the model, serial number and attachment identification. The source list includes an actual Genie manual as an example with a stated serial range; confirm the correct document for your unit with its manufacturer or supporting dealer.
Sources and review
- Genie: Interpreting a Telehandler's Load Charts (accessed 2026-10-30)
- Genie: GTH-5519 Operator's Manual, 57.0009.0619GT, Fourth Edition / Fourth Printing (accessed 2026-10-30)
- JLG: Understanding a Telehandler Load Capacity Chart (accessed 2026-10-30)
- JLG: Rotating Telehandlers: A Unique Equipment Solution (accessed 2026-10-30)
Prepared with AI assistance and checks against the linked sources. This content helps compare purchase options; it does not replace the equipment manual or a technical inspection.
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